Small Brotherhood
by Yuuram von Bielefeld-Shibuya
Summary: It's time for Natsu's first mission as a Fairy Tail wizard, but it looks like Gray's his escort. What could possibly happen?


**So, you know how Gray had to escort Juvia on her first mission as a member of Fairy Tail? And you know how Natsu is a year younger than Gray? (Yes, yes, he is logically over 400 years old, but whatever, this is set when they're both kids so hush it). Yeah, well, that's where this idea came from while I was washing my hair last night, lol. Oh, and I got my GCSE Math result today (heck, Math has always been the subject I fail at every single time since I began school, and now I've finished for good) and...I failed, again. But it wasn't my fault! I was entered for the wrong level than what I'd been taught and even though I brought it up, they didn't change it, so blah blah blah, I failed. *sigh* But! I am on holiday all of next week in Devon - nice place we stay in actually, though there were loads of spiders last time, ugh - and I will be dedicating my time to writing ranting blogs (I'll put my livejournal on my next story) and also writing more fanfiction chapters/oneshots for you all! I haven't done so in awhile, I know, sorry! Anyways, enjoy this little Gray/Natsu brotherhood thing - also, it's set before Natsu found Happy.**

* * *

"Gray, I want you to be the one escorting Natsu on his first mission as a wizard of Fairy Tail, I assume you'll be fine on your own?"

have to be the one to take him out there? Why can't Cana or Mira do it?"

Makarov sighed, of course Fairy Tail's current rebel wasn't going to take his elemental opposite out on a mission just like that, he should've expected a fight from the young ice mage. "Gray, I know you and Natsu don't exactly see eye to eye but just this once, can you please take him? It's his first mission and I suppose I just picked you because you're roughly his age and know how he feels more than most" Gray knew what he meant by that - Natsu had said he was abandoned by not only his real parents, but his adoptive father too, leading him to Fairy Tail. Just like Gray had lost his real parents and his teacher and surrogate brother. Gray mentally shook his head - he wouldn't think about _him._ The pained yet extreme hateful look was the last time he saw the 'brother' he grew up with until Ur's death.

"...'Suppose I could...s-so long as he listens to me though!" he was determined to keep his dominant position above the little fire freak.

"Hear that kiddo? Gray says he'll take ya on that mission you've been begging for, but you have to behave for him" Natsu shot up from his seat at Makarov's call and bounded over to Gray, looking up at the slightly taller boy with excited eyes.

"Really?! You're gonna take me?! Oh thank you! Thank you!" Natsu grinned the widest grin Gray had seen him give before being tackled into a hug by the little devil known as Natsu Dragneel. Gray was frozen in surprise for a moment before regaining his usual arrogance and pushing Natsu off him.

"Let's go get this done with then Flame-Brain. Unless you're scared of a couple of weak bandits" the ice mage shoved his hands in his jean pockets and walked towards the doors and out into the streets of Magnolia, a proud smirk on his face. It would be interesting to see if Natsu was capable of being a true member of Fairy Tail from this simple mission he'd picked - all they had to do was find a lost kitten and they were done, but Gray had told a story of how he took down a group of bandits for his most recent job, and it had Natsu in awe of him ever since. Not that Natsu would admit it in front of everyone else though.

* * *

The two were still walking towards the end of Magnolia's city when Natsu piped up with a question Gray hadn't heard in a long time. "Gray? How come you ended up at Fairy Tail?". The ice mage stopped in his tracks and looked at the pinkette at his side, memories began to flood his mind but he shook his head quickly. "It doesn't matter Natsu, it's not important"

"But Gray, I wanna know"

"No. No you don't"

"Gray, please tell me, I won't tell anyone else if you don't want me to"

"Natsu, I'm not telling you about my past - it's the past, alright?"

"But-"

"I said no, Natsu" Gray began to walk ahead again, feeling for his shirt first though - he'd had to backtrack once on this trip to find it, Natsu often found his stripping habit amusing. Gray didn't want to talk about what had brought him to Fairy Tail - especially not about _him_. But Natsu wasn't one for taking 'no' as an answer.

"I know you used to train with someone else your age, right? Though I don't know his name, can you at least tell me that?"

"No. And I don't care about him anymore, not after what I did anyway. If you knew Natsu then you wouldn't want me around you anymore, believe me. I often distance myself away from you not because of your element but because if you get too close to me then...well...something bad'll happen"

"But you don't seem bad or scary or anything, you just seem insecure of yourself" Natsu took the opportunity to jump onto Gray's back and cling to him round his neck, much to the ice mage's surprise. "I'll help you if you want. I'll be your friend, we'll be best friends!"

Oh how innocent Natsu was, but Gray just sighed in content, maybe he could at least tell Natsu how much _he_ used to mean to him. "You're right, there was someone I trained my magic with. He was my teacher's older pupil, so he trained in ice-make magic awhile before I did. His name was Lyon Vastia, and...we were like brothers until the accident happened. After that, he hated me. He didn't care if he left me at the scene where it al happened. I tried to go after him, not wanting to be on my own, but then a strong blizzard blew up and I lost sight of where he went. So in the end, I wandered around and travelled until I found myself at Fairy Tail, and Gramps offered me a place with them"

Natsu rested his chin on Gray's shoulder and gripped his wrist tighter as his arms hung round Gray's neck. He was silent for a long moment but when the two passed Magnolia's borders, he spoke up again. "Gray?"

"Hm?"

"...Can...Can you be my older brother?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well...Fairy Tail's a family, right? So...I want you to be my older brother, if that's the way it works" Innocence seemed to shine through on Natsu at this moment in time and Gray briefly looked at the boy on his back. "Please?" the fire mage added when Gray didn't respond quick enough.

"...I guess I could, but only if you complete this mission without disobeying me, got it?"

"Deal! All right, now let's go beat those bandits!"

Gray sweatdropped, "We're not fighting anyone, we're just finding someone's lost kitten"

"Oh...then let's go find that lost kitten!" Gray couldn't help but laugh at just how amusing Natsu could be at times. Maybe having the fire mage as a little brother wouldn't be so bad - but he had to keep his end of the deal first.

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 **Well that didn't turn out exactly as I planned it, none of my stories really do. Was Natsu a little OCC in this? Or was Gray? Or were they both? Idk, I tried to keep them in their natural personalities at this point in time - Erza was out on a job btw, lol. And oh my God, I fucking** ** _love_** **Lyon! I mean, his thing for Juvia brings him down in my view which is why I like Gray a lot more, but still, Lyon's fucking amazing guys! Ah man, I wish he had blue eyes instead of black, cause then I'd officially name him "The Jack Frost of Fairy Tail"! Hehe, love ya Lyon~**


End file.
